In Kyiv, law enforcement officers have exposed a 31-year-old local resident who organized the illegal cultivation and sale of psychotropic mushrooms in his own apartment. This was reported by the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.
According to the investigation, the man set up a mini-laboratory for growing psilocybin mushrooms in his home. After harvesting, he dried the mushrooms and sold them directly to buyers. The suspect disguised some of the psychotropic products as chocolate, making sweets containing prohibited substances.
Sales were carried out mainly "from hand to hand." The cost of one chocolate bar with psilocybin, depending on the dosage, ranged from 2,200 to 3,400 hryvnias, which indicates an established and profitable scheme of illegal activity.
During a warrantless search of the suspect's apartment, law enforcement officers seized about 2 kilograms of ready-to-sell chocolate products with psychotropic substances, dried psilocybin mushrooms, containers for their cultivation, zip-packs with mushroom spores and containers with mycelium. Zip-packs with cannabis, the psychotropic substance kratom, and cash, likely obtained from illegal sales, were also found.
According to preliminary estimates, the total value of the seized items at "black" market prices exceeds 1 million hryvnias.
The court has now chosen a preventive measure in the form of detention for the suspect. The man's actions are qualified under the articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provide for liability for the illegal production and sale of psychotropic substances. If convicted, he could face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
